"Kristi Noem has to go," Mass. governor says after Minneapolis shooting
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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Monday called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign in the wake of a Border Patrol agent's killing of a man in Minneapolis.
The big picture: Healey joins a growing chorus of Democrats calling for Noem to be held accountable in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday.
Catch up quick: Pretti was recording agents with a phone and tried to help another observer who was pushed to the ground by an agent, according to videos circulating.
- DHS said Pretti was armed and resisted agents' attempts to disarm him.
- Videos don't appear to show Pretti, a lawful gun owner, reaching for his weapon, Axios Twin Cities reported.
- Noem later called Pretti's actions "domestic terrorism."
Driving the news: Healey called for Noem's resignation during a news conference Monday.
- She blasted the federal government for its characterizations of Pretti, an ICU nurse for the Minneapolis VA, after his death.
- He is the second person shot dead this month by federal agents in Minneapolis.
What they're saying: "Kristi Noem has got to go, ICE has got to get out of these communities now and Donald Trump needs to act and step up," Healey said.
- "We cannot continue to have Americans in neighborhoods and cities across this country at risk."
- Axios Boston has reached out to DHS for comment.
The other side: "Once again, Governor Healey continues to smear law enforcement who are simply enforcing the rule of law and are putting their lives on the line to remove violent criminals from Massachusetts," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Axios.
- McLaughlin blamed Healey for the ICE activity, saying she "refuses to work with our law enforcement to arrest these public safety threats."
Context: Healey's comments come as Massachusetts cities and towns are bracing for the possibility of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement here.
- ICE descended on Maine last week, arresting dozens of people.
- Meanwhile, several Massachusetts cities signed onto a legal brief urging federal judges to order ICE to stop its enforcement campaign in Minneapolis.
Zoom in: Healey criticized the federal government's "illegal, unlawful threats to state officials," including its demand for access to voter rolls hours after Pretti's death.
- She compared Trump administration tactics to those that preceded the American Revolution, citing James Otis' argument more than 260 years ago against British soldiers entering colonists' homes without a warrant.
- Protections against such searches later became enshrined in the Constitution's Fourth Amendment.
- "Here we are celebrating 250 years of American history, and we've got a federal administration that's ready to throw out the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, the Fourth Amendment — I could go on."
- McLaughlin defended the federal officers' tactics and said they are facing an increase in death threats and assaults.
What's next: Reports circulated Monday that Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino and some federal agents are leaving Minnesota Tuesday.
- President Trump reportedly told Gov. Tim Walz that he would send border czar Tom Homan there instead, pledging to "do things differently."